A HISTORY, ANALYSIS, AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO SAMUEL BARBER’S CANZONETTA FOR OBOE AND STRING ORCHESTRA

This dissertation examines Samuel Barber’s Canzonetta for Oboe and String Orchestra, which was intended to be the central movement of an oboe concerto commissioned by the New York Philharmonic. The Canzonetta for Oboe and String Orchestra is representative of Barber’s tendency towards vocal lyricism and neo-romantic tonality, serving as a representation of his compositional style. This document will explore the technical and expressive demands found in Barber’s writing for the oboe and will offer solutions for any problematic elements—including those specific to the oboe itself. It will also suggest practice techniques for the execution of these difficulties. This dissertation is comprised of an overview of the existing literature, followed by a biography, introduction to the composer, and a history of the work to contextualize the piece for interested performers. A formal theoretical analysis will be included, as well as a detailed performance guide, offering the author’s suggestion for a cadenza and a guide to interpretation